EDUCATION: Graduated from Richland High School, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania in 1982. Received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the US Naval Academy in 1986, and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1994.

EXPERIENCE: Frick was commissioned upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in May 1986. After being designated as a Naval Aviator in February 1988, he reported to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 at Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida, for transition to the F/A-18 Hornet. Upon completion of training, he reported to Strike Fighter Squadron 83 also at Cecil Field, and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea onboard the USS Saratoga (CV-60). During the 8-month deployment, Frick participated in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, flying 26 combat missions from the Red Sea to targets in Iraq and Kuwait. He was also designated an airwing-qualified landing signals officer. After leaving Strike Fighter Squadron 83 in December 1991, he participated in a cooperative program with the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and the Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland resulting in a master's degree in aeronautical engineering and designation as a Naval Test Pilot. Upon graduation in June 1994, Frick was assigned as a project officer and test pilot to the Carrier Suitability Department of the Strike Aircraft Test Squadron also located at Patuxent River. While there he conducted shore-based and shipboard testing of the F/A-18 Hornet. Frick was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 125 in Lemoore, California, preparing for return to a deployed F/A-18 squadron when selected for the astronaut program in April 1996. Captain Frick retired from the U. S. Navy in September 2010.

He has logged more than 4,300 flight hours in 38 different aircraft, and has over 370 carrier landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected by NASA in April 1996, Frick reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996. After initial Space Shuttle crew training to qualify for flight assignment as a pilot, he has served in many capacities in the Astronaut Office including lead capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for the STS-114 return to flight mission, ascent and entry CAPCOM for multiple launches and landings, and Chief of the Safety Branch. Outside of the Astronaut Office, Frick has served as liaison to NASA HQ for return-to-flight activities after the Columbia accident, and the Orion Spacecraft Project Flight Crew Testing Lead. Currently he is serving as Chief of the Astronaut Office Exploration Branch. A veteran of two spaceflights, Captain Frick has logged over 565 hours in space. He served as pilot on STS-110 in 2002, and was the crew commander on STS-122 in 2008.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE: STS-110 Atlantis (April 8-19, 2002) was the 13th Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station. Mission milestones included delivery and installation of the S0 (S-Zero) Truss, first maneuvering of spacewalkers using the ISS robotic arm, and the first mission on which all spacewalks were based from the station’s Quest Airlock. The crew prepared the station for future spacewalks and spent a week in joint operations with the station’s Expedition-4 crew. The STS-110 mission lasted 10 days, 19 hours, and 42 minutes, and traveled 4.5 million statute miles in 171 Earth orbits.

STS-122 Atlantis (February 7-20, 2008) was the 24th Shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station. Mission highlight was the delivery and installation of the European Space Agency’s Columbus Laboratory. Three spacewalks by the Atlantis crew prepared the Columbus Laboratory for its scientific work, and replaced an expended nitrogen tank on the Station’s P-1 Truss. STS-122 was also a crew replacement mission, delivering Expedition-16 Flight Engineer, ESA Astronaut Léopold Eyharts and returning home with Expedition-16 Flight Engineer, NASA Astronaut Daniel Tani. The STS-122 mission was accomplished in 12 days, 18 hours, 22 minutes, and traveled 5.3 million statute miles in 203 Earth orbits.

Graduated from Richland High School, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania in 1982; received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the US Naval Academy in 1986; master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1994.

Air Medal with 2 Strike-Flight awards; 3 Navy Commendation Medals, one with Combat V; Navy Unit Commendation; National Defense Service Medal; Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, 2 Southwest Asia Service Medals; and various other service awards.

EXPERIENCE:

Frick was commissioned upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in May 1986. After being designated as a Naval Aviator in February 1988, he reported to Strike Fighter Squadron 106 at Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida, for transition to the F/A-18 Hornet. Upon completion of training, he reported to Strike Fighter Squadron 83 also at Cecil Field, and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea onboard the USS Saratoga (CV-60). During the 8 month deployment, he participated in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, flying 26 combat missions from the Red Sea to targets in Iraq and Kuwait. He was also designated an airwing qualified landing signals officer. After leaving Strike Fighter Squadron 83 in December 1991, Frick participated in a cooperative program consisting of 15 months at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and 1 year with the Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. Upon graduation in June 1994, he was assigned as a project officer and test pilot to the Carrier Suitability Department of the Strike Aircraft Test Squadron also located at Patuxent River. While there, he conducted shore-based and shipboard testing of the F/A-18 Hornet. Frick was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 125 in Lemoore, California, preparing for return to a deployed F/A-18 squadron when selected for the astronaut program in April 1996.

Frick Has logged over 1,800 flight hours in 27 different aircraft, and has over 370 carrier landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE:

Selected by NASA in April 1996, Frick reported to the Johnson Space Center in August 1996 to begin two years of training and evaluation. Successful completion of initial training will qualify him for various technical assignments leading to selection as a pilot on a Space Shuttle flight crew.

With the International Space Station and the Expedition Four crew orbiting high overhead, the shuttle Atlantis lifted off this afternoon on a complex mission to install a 43-foot long truss structure as the backbone for future expansion of the orbital outpost. Additional Details: here....

Launch delayed from March 22, April 4. Space Shuttle Atlantis entered an orbit of approximately 59 x 229 km x 51.6 deg at 2052 UTC, and separated from the External Tank, ET-114. ET-114 reached apogee around 2122 UTC and reentered over the Pacific about 2150 UTC at the end of its first orbit. Atlantis fired its OMS engines at apogee to raise its perigee to 155 km. Further orbit changes will lead to a rendezvous with the Space Station on Station
mission 8A. STS-110 carried the S0 truss segment to the Station. The truss was the first segment of the main backbone of the Station which was to grow to carry the large solar panel wings and radiators. Cargo manifest:

Bay 1-2: Orbiter Docking System - 1800 kg + 3 EMU spacesuits - 360 kg

Bay 4-13: S0 Truss - 12623 kg. The S0 truss, built by Boeing/Huntington Beach, was 13.4 m long and 4.6 m in diameter. The main truss had a hexagonal cross section. One face carried fluid, power and data cables, while another face carried the rails for the Mobile Transporter. The S0 contained avionics, GPS antennae, and a radiation dose monitor. The S0 would be attached to the LCA (Lab Cradle Assembly) which was attached to the top of the Destiny lab module in 2001. Attached to S0 were:

4 x MTS (Module to Truss Structure) struts. These were used to connect it to the Destiny module

Airlock Spur. This was a 4.2 m beam that hinged out to connect to the Quest module and had handrails for spacewalkers

Mobile Transporter (MT). This was made by TRW Astro Aerospace in Carpinteria and was an 885 kg, 2.7 m long truck which moved on the S0 rails to transfer heavy cargo along the truss.

Atlantis has closed the distance between it and the International Space Station to less than 1,800 statute miles, and is continuing its approach in anticipation of docking with the station at 11:06 a.m. central time today. The linkup should occur as the two spacecraft fly over south-central China, to the southwest of Shanghai. The Atlantis crew, Commander Mike Bloomfield, Pilot Steve Frick and mission specialists Rex Walheim, Ellen Ochoa, Lee Morin, Jerry Ross and Steve Smith, was awakened at 3:44 a.m. by "Rapunzel Got a Mohawk," performed by Joe Scruggs. The song was played for Ochoa, at the request of her family. Additional Details: here....

Atlantis gently docked with the International Space Station this morning over southern China, setting the stage for the installation of a 13 1/2 ton truss structure to the complex tomorrow and the ultimate expansion of the ISS to the length of a football field. Additional Details: here....

The expansion of the International Space Station continued today with the installation of the 13 1/2 ton S0 (S-Zero) truss segment on the orbital outpost. Assisted by Expedition Four Flight Engineer Dan Bursch, Atlantis Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa gently lifted the truss out of the shuttle's payload bay at 5:30 a.m. Central time through the use of the station's robotic arm and maneuvered it onto a clamp at the top of the station's Destiny Laboratory. It took just under four hours to complete the delicate procedure. Additional Details: here....

Construction of a framework for expanded research begins today as the S-Zero (S0) truss segment is installed on the International Space Station. The truss will provide support for the cooling and power systems necessary to attach additional laboratories to the complex. Additional Details: here....

After successful installation of the S-Zero (S0) Truss and a spacewalk on Thursday, the focus of today's activities will shift from external construction of the International Space Station to the transfer of equipment, supplies and experiments between the space shuttle Atlantis and the orbiting laboratory. Additional Details: here....

The ten crewmembers of the Atlantis / International Space Station complex transferred experiments and supplies into their respective vehicles today as the latest addition to the station, the S-Zero (S0) Truss, continued to pass its initial checkouts with flying colors. Additional Details: here....

Construction of the International Space Station continues today with the second of four scheduled spacewalks to install the S-Zero (S0) Truss segment. Shuttle astronauts Jerry Ross and Lee Morin will float out of the station's Quest Airlock about 9:34 a.m. Additional Details: here....

Outfitting of the newest component of the International Space Station continues today with the mission's third spacewalk. Shuttle astronauts Steve Smith and Rex Walheim will continue installation work on the S-Zero (S0) Truss, now permanently attached to the station's U.S. laboratory Destiny. Additional Details: here....

The first railcar in space crept down the track of a newly installed truss structure at the International Space Station today, paving the way for the future use of the system on which the station's robotic arm will be mounted to travel the full length of the complex. Additional Details: here....

The first space railroad car will get a trial run today, highballing along 26 feet of the track atop the International Space Station's new S-Zero (S0) Truss at a maximum speed of one inch per second, or 100 yards an hour. The 1,900-pound Mobile Transporter begins its run about 6:30 a.m. Additional Details: here....

Atlantis astronauts Jerry Ross and Lee Morin completed the outfitting of the new S-Zero (S0) truss on the International Space Station today during a 6 hour, 37 minute spacewalk, installing a ladder, testing electrical switches for upcoming truss expansion and attaching external lights and equipment to be used in future assembly work. Additional Details: here....

Shuttle astronauts Jerry Ross and Lee Morin will make the fourth and final spacewalk of the STS-110 mission of Atlantis today, stepping out of the International Space Station's Quest airlock at 9:34 a.m. Many of their tasks focus on helping future spacewalkers. Additional Details: here....

Atlantis' astronauts tested out their ship's systems today and packed their gear, aiming for an early afternoon landing at the Kennedy Space Center Friday to wrap up a 4 ½ million mile mission to deliver a huge backbone truss structure to the International Space Station. Additional Details: here....

After traveling more than 4½ million miles on a successful International Space Station assembly mission that saw four spacewalks during installation of the first segment of the station's main truss, Atlantis is scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center today. Additional Details: here....

ISS flight 1E's primary mission was the long-delayed delivery and installation of the European Columbus module. The shuttle entered an initial 58 km x 230 km orbit at 19:54 GMT. The OMS-2 circularization burn at 20:23 GMT put it into a 215 km x 233 km chase orbit. Atlantis docked with the PMA-2 port of the ISS at 17:17 GMT on 9 February. Eyharts was dropped off at the station, Tani, already aboard the ISS, returned to Earth on Atlantis. Atlantis undocked from the ISS on 20 February at 09:24 GMT; began its deorbit burn at 12:59; and landed at the Kennedy Space Center at 14:07.

Mission 1E replanning by MCC-Houston, driven by the one-day delay of the first spacewalk, was completed last night, as follows:

Approved mission extension by one day (i.e., 12+0+2 instead of 11+0+2), resulting in 2/19 (Tuesday) as return date for Atlantis; Limiting resource being oxygen (O2), under further discussion is the option to either extend by one more docked day or transfer the unexpended O2 to the ISS (current O2 margins are estimated to be 11+1+2 plus an additional 20-25 hours. These are still being refined given the insertion of the new FD4); All FD 4 activities moved to FD 5. EVA-1 will be conducted by Stanley Love and Rex Walheim tomorrow, with Campout of the two tonight; Today (FD 4) was replanned and includes 1.5 hrs of focused inspection (FI) of the starboard OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) pod blanket that has a corner slightly peeled back (the FI, starting at ~ 2:15 pm EST, is planned for 90 min, with additional FI time available on FD 06 if needed); Transfer status: 22% of transfer complete, 6 hours of transfer scheduled for FD 4, expect 35/40 lbs N2 transfer today, 3 CWCs filled. Wakeup time for the ISS crew remains at 4:45am EST, with sleep time tonight 8:45pm. Same times for the Shuttle crew. Additional Details: here....

Mission 1E's EVA-1 was completed successfully by Stanley Love & Rex Walheim in 7hr 58min, accomplishing all its objectives.(During the spacewalk, Walheim (EV1) & Love (EV2) prepared Columbus for unberthing and installation, hooking up electric cables, removing protective covers from the module's docking mechanism and equipping Columbus with the PDGF (Power & Data Grapple Fixture) required for grappling. They also started preparing the NTA (Nitrogen Tank Assembly) for removal, preparatory to replacement with a new NTA on EVA-2 (disconnecting electric cables and two ammonia flex hoses was deferred to Wednesday, but Walheim unfastened two of the four bolts holding down the NTA). Official start time of the spacewalk was 9:13am EST, about 25 minutes ahead of the timeline, and it ended at 5:11pm. Total EVA duration (PET = Phase Elapsed Time) was 7h 58min. It was the 102nd spacewalk for ISS assembly & maintenance and the 74th from the station (28 from Shuttle, 52 from Quest, 22 from Pirs) totaling 451h 11min, and the 6th for Expedition 16 (totaling 43h 19min.) After today's EVA, a total of 125 spacewalkers (94 NASA astronauts, 21 Russians, and ten astronauts representing Japan-1, Canada-4, France-1, Germany-1 and Sweden-3) have logged a total of 639h 33min outside the station on building, outfitting and servicing. It was also the 124th spacewalk by U.S. astronauts.) Additional Details: here....

At ~9:15am EST, the European Columbus laboratory was opened and entered by crewmembers for the first time. (Columbus is permanently attached at the starboard port of Node-2.)

Crew sleep cycle remains at 4:45am - 8:15pm for both crews.

Before breakfast, FE-2 Dan Tani completed his daily access of the SLEEP experiment (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

CDR Peggy Whitson and FE-2-16 Leo Eyharts continued their IMMUNO (Integrated Immune Assessment) experiment, begun on 2/9, with liquid saliva collections, first thing after wake-up and prior to breakfast, drinking and teeth-brushing. All samples were stored at ambient temperature. Dan Tani's IMMUNO liquid saliva collection starts tomorrow morning. (IMMUNO (Integrated Immune Assessment)is a 24-hr. test of human immune system changes, with the objective to investigate immune neuro-endocrine reactions in the space environment by studying samples of saliva, blood and urine using collection kits and the biomedical (MBI) protection kit, to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects. The saliva is collected in two forms, dry and liquid. The dry samples are collected at intervals during the collection day using a specialized book that contains filter paper. The liquid saliva collections require that the crewmember soak a piece of cotton inside their mouth and place it in a salivette bag; there are four of the liquid collections during docked operations. The on-orbit blood samples are collected right before undocking and returned on the Shuttle so that analysis can occur with 48 hours of the sampling. This allows assays that quantify the function of different types white blood cells and other active components of the immune system. For cold storage, samples are secured in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). Also included are entries in a fluid/medications intact log, and a stress-test questionnaire to be filled out by the subject at begin and end. Urine is collected during a 24-hour period, conventionally divided into two twelve-hour phases: morning-evening and evening-morning.) Additional Details: here....

Mission 1E's EVA-2 was completed successfully by Rex Walheim & Hans Schlegel in 6h 45m, accomplishing all its objectives and get-aheads.(During the spacewalk, Walheim (EV1) & Schlegel (EV2) removed the new NTA (Nitrogen Tank Assembly) from the Shuttle PLB (Payload Bay), 'flew' it to the CETA (Crew & Equipment Translation Aid) cart for transfer to the P1 truss, installed it in place of the failed NTA, which they returned via CETA for stowage in the PLB, and performed Get-Aheads, viz.: Clean up Lab MMOD (Micrometeoroid/Orbital Debris Shield) & install Columbus Trunnion Covers.) Official start time of the spacewalk was 9:27am EST, about 8 min ahead of the timeline, and it ended at 4:12pm. Total EVA duration (PET = Phase Elapsed Time) was 6h 45min. It was the 103rd spacewalk for ISS assembly & maintenance and the 75th from the station (28 from Shuttle, 53 from Quest, 22 from Pirs) totaling 457h 56min, and the 7th for Expedition 16 (totaling 50h 04min). After today's EVA, a total of 127 spacewalkers (95 NASA astronauts, 21 Russians, and 11 astronauts representing Japan-1, Canada-4, France-1, Germany-2 and Sweden-3) have logged a total of 646h 18min outside the station on building, outfitting and servicing. It was also the 125th spacewalk involving U.S. astronauts.) Additional Details: here....

Mission 1E's EVA-3 was completed successfully by Rex Walheim & Stan Love in 7h 25m, accomplishing all its objectives and get-aheads.(During the spacewalk, Walheim (EV1) & Love (EV3) transferred the European SOLAR (Solar Monitoring Observatory) and the EuTEF (European Technology Exposure Facility) to the COL EPF (Columbus Orbital Laboratory External Payload Facility), retrieved the failed CMG (Control Moment Gyro) for stowage in the Shuttle PLB for return, installed COL worksite interface fixtures and handrails, inspected a suspected sharp-edged MMOD impact site on an Airlock (A/L) handrail (#508), and inspected, photographed and took samples from the failed starboard SARJ (Solar Alpha Rotary Joint) race ring and covers not yet inspected before. Official start time of the spacewalk was 8:07am EST, about 28 min ahead of timeline, and it ended at 3:32pm. Total EVA duration (PET = Phase Elapsed Time) was 7h 25min. It was the 104th spacewalk for ISS assembly & maintenance and the 76th from the station (28 from Shuttle, 54 from Quest, 22 from Pirs) totaling 465h 21min, and the 8th for Expedition 16 (totaling 57h 29min). After today's EVA, a total of 129 spacewalkers (97 NASA astronauts, 21 Russians, and 11 astronauts representing Japan-1, Canada-4, France-1, Germany-2 and Sweden-3) have logged a total of 653h 43min outside the station on building, outfitting and servicing. It was also the 126th spacewalk involving U.S. astronauts.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Peggy Whitson performed her final INTEGRATED IMMUNE blood collection, assisted by MS1 Leland Melvin, right before hatch closure. FE-2 Dan Tani will continue his saliva collections, both liquid and dry, and blood collections aboard the Atlantis all the way home FE-2-16 Leo Eyharts transferred his and Peggy's saliva return pouches and blood sleeves as well as Dan's saliva collection kit to the Shuttle for return. (Background: IMMUNE assessment, integrated with the Russian IMMUNO, is a 24-hr. test of human immune system changes, with the objective to investigate immune neuro-endocrine reactions in the space environment by studying samples of saliva, blood and urine using collection kits and the biomedical (MBI) protection kit, to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects. The saliva is collected in two forms, dry and liquid. The dry samples are collected at intervals during the collection day using a specialized book that contains filter paper. The liquid saliva collections require that the crewmember soak a piece of cotton inside their mouth and place it in a salivette bag; there are four of the liquid collections during docked operations. The on-orbit blood samples are collected right before undocking and returned on the Shuttle so that analysis can occur with 48 hours of the sampling. This allows assays that quantify the function of different types white blood cells and other active components of the immune system. For cold storage, samples are secured in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). Also included are entries in a fluid/medications intact log, and a stress-test questionnaire to be filled out by the subject at begin and end. Urine is collected during a 24-hour period, conventionally divided into two twelve-hour phases: morning-evening and evening-morning.) Additional Details: here....